September 2016 - Canon Medical Systems Ltd

Posted on September 12, 2016 by CMSE

Spire Liverpool Hospital recently replaced its existing X-ray equipment with a Canon Ultimax-i X-ray fluoroscopy system. The new system has enabled the hospital to broaden the scope of examinations it offers and increase efficiency, whilst providing a higher degree of patient comfort than ever before.

Anne Marsh, Diagnostic Imaging Manager comments, “We selected the Ultimax-i because it is a MP c-arm system with an optional overhead x-ray tube and erect bucky. This gives us more functionality in a general room and allows us to expand our services to include such procedures as spinal injections as well as all the usual fluoroscopic procedures. We have noticed a faster throughput and improved image quality with the new equipment. The Canon support was excellent. The project went very smoothly and the staff were extremely helpful throughout.”

The Ultimax-i is flexible and versatile, capable of performing multi- purpose imaging with a large image field of view and excellent image quality. Its innovative design with a multi-directional interactive digital C-arm facilitates all gastrointestinal studies, interventional radiology and angiographic procedures with anatomical coverage from head to toe and shoulder to shoulder on even the tallest patients.

Following initial positioning of the patient, the Ultimax-i can be moved in any orientation required. The system has integrated anti-collision technology to protect the patient at all times and a comprehensive dose reduction programme that ensures maximum diagnostic information at the lowest possible dose.

Photo:

Shown here, left to right, standing, Graham King, Account Executive CT/MR/XR, Johanna Cotton, X-ray Sales Specialist, both of Canon Medical Systems; Fergus Macpherson, Hospital Director; Nik Codd, Project Manager, Canon Medical Systems and Anne Marsh, Diagnostic Imaging Manager

Seated in front, left to right, Alun Evans-Thomlinson, Radiology Team Leader; Maria Punay, Radiographer and Nicola Glover, Assistant Practitioner

Canon Medical Systems has a carbon-zero project in place. We have calculated the carbon footprint for each of our products to include manufacturing, shipping, delivery and average hospital energy useful for the standard lifetime of the equipment as follows:

X-ray equates to 13 stoves and 50,781 litres of water

Posted on September 12, 2016 by CMSE

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust purchased two Canon Infinix-i neuro-interventional Labs, a biplane system and a single plane system. The Trust’s existing systems were over ten years old and it was therefore looking to replace both its bi-plane system, which is almost exclusively utilised for complex neuro interventional cases and the single plane system that was used as a neuro back up and for other general interventional procedures. After a lengthy evaluation process Canon was chosen to supply the replacement equipment, with the Infinix-i biplane at Salford being the first in Europe of its generation to be placed in a neurovascular environment.

As part of a collaborative agreement, the hospital clinicians are working in partnership with an international team from Canon Medical Systems Europe, Japan and the UK, to test new applications and software, specific to the specialised work undertaken at Salford. This arrangement is proving beneficial to both the hospital’s neuro radiologists, as well as an invaluable opportunity for Canon to work closely with its customers to push product development to meet clinical needs.

With regard to the choice of Canon systems, Dee Patel, Superintendent Radiographer explains, “We looked at all available systems that met our specifications and requirements, and the first thing that impressed us about the Canon equipment was the versatility of the multi-axis positioning capability of the C-arm on the Infinix i system. We have found the unique lateral and vertical movements of the lateral arm on the biplane system to be extremely useful in neuro applications. In addition, our neuro-interventionalists were impressed with the tableside controls, which give them access to the whole imaging system without leaving the patient. ”

The Infinix-i system has what is regarded as one of the most flexible C-arm designs currently on the market, with even the floor-mounted single plane system being able to achieve fingertip to fingertip coverage of the whole patient without moving the table. This coupled with the unique lateral plane reversibility and height adjustment, means that every patient can be positioned to allow the clinician the best possible access and flexibility. At the same time, unencumbered access to the patient can be maintained for anaesthesia and other support staff, and also ensuring that staff and patients benefit from the dose reduction possible with better positioning.

Dee Patel continues, “Our radiographers are pleased with the user-friendly windows-based interface and find it easy to use. C-arm and tube positioning are easily controlled with the Hyper Handle tableside and the satellite console.”

The Infinix-i systems at Salford are equipped with Canon’s latest ‘Spot Fluoroscopy’ technology, physicians can use this asymmetrical off-centre collimation technique to the focus on the region of interest whilst maintaining a last image hold of the surrounding area. The use of Spot Fluoro significantly reduces the amount of radiation used, improves image quality and enables the user to focus on a specific area within the field-of-view without having to move the table. The reduction in patient and operator dose is a huge benefit, in addition there is a significant risk reduction in complex procedures from vascular trauma due to inadvertent movement of the devices and catheters in keeping the table still during the procedure. Both systems also utilise Canon Medical Systems’ unique real-time skin dose tracking system. DTS, Dose Tracking System, provides real-time feedback on patient skin dose distribution to the clinical team, allowing them to make informed clinical decisions that benefit the patient at the tableside. As this information can be stored with the patient images, it also allows the clinical team to plan the best approach for those patients that are undergoing multiple, long and very complex procedures, to minimise the risk of any possible side effects.

Commenting on DTS, Dee Patel adds, “The real-time graphic patient dose information is very useful during procedures as adjustments can be made in tube positioning during a procedure to minimise skin dose to any one area.”

The single plane system at Salford offers imaging facilities for a range of other interventional specialties including renal-vascular, urology, GI, spinal and MSK. It has all the technological, and design capabilities of the biplane system, which provides the added flexibility of being able to use it as a backup for neuro as and when demand dictates.

From the outset, Canon was very keen to assist the Trust in the design of the purpose-built interventional suites, the result being an excellent work space with good patient flow. Dee Patel says, “Technical support has been excellent and service responses very fast. From the start, Canon applications specialists were on site, or at the end of the phone, to help us to set up our systems just as we wanted them. Adjustments could be made mid-procedure to aid our interventionalists to the end point.”

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust is home to the Greater Manchester Neuroscience Centre, offering neurosurgery and interventional neuro radiology to a population of 3.5 million people. It performs around 250 interventional cases and 350 diagnostic cases on the biplane system, with a six-day service. It is also a comprehensive stroke centre for Greater Manchester, offering endovascular intervention to stroke patients. Salford Royal is also part of the Major Trauma Network, offering 24 hour emergency vascular intervention to patients from all over the Northwest.

Photo:

Shown here left to right, Marc Ivison, Senior Service Engineer XR, Canon Medical Systems; Dr. Hannah Stockley, Consultant Interventional Neuroradiologist; Dhiren Patel, Superintendent Radiographer; Graham King, Account Manager CT/MR/XR Canon Medical Systems; Rory Dedman, Senior Neuroradiographer and Matthew Solomon, Head of Technical Support Group, Canon Medical Systems

X-ray equates to 13 stoves and 50,781 litres of water

Posted on September 12, 2016 by CMSE

Nuffield Health North Staffordshire Hospital in Newcastle under Lyme recently acquired a Canon Aquilion PRIME CT scanner. The equipment is installed in a £2.3 million diagnostics suite, which was recently officially opened by Stoke City Football Club Manager Mark Hughes. The new facility was delivered by a partnership between Nuffield Health and InHealth.

Ann Brunt, Nuffield Health North Staffordshire Hospital Director, comments, “In partnership with InHealth we are excited to be opening our new state-of-the-art facility, which provides the latest diagnostic innovation, combined with first-class patient experience. We are hoping this is the beginning of a fundamental transformation of our hospital. As a team, we are already working towards the next step in our development, which includes the creation of an ambulatory and oncology suite, which demonstrates that we are constantly looking at ways to improve our facilities to enable us to provide a better level of service to our customers and to the local community. It will also help to support the care of NHS patients through working with key partners such as local clinical commissioning groups.”

Richard Williams, Imaging Services Manager at In Health says, “We are all very pleased to be part of this marvellous joint venture between InHealth and the Nuffield. It gives us a fantastic opportunity to work together to provide our patients with gold standard diagnostic services and care. To this end, our choice of the Canon 160-slice CT scanner has proven to be a very wise one indeed. Canon told us it was a state-of-the-art, high quality CT system and following installation it has fully lived up to all expectations of the radiographers, radiologists and our referring clinicians.”

The Aquilion PRIME is ideal for departments needing to perform a wide variety of examinations whilst maintaining a high throughput and streamlined workflow. The system has fully integrated advanced dose reduction technologies that enable the operator to consistently obtain maximum quality imaging at the lowest possible radiation dose. The scanner has a wide array of advanced packages, including Canon’s ^SURECardio software with ECG-gating, cardiac analysis and vessel probe. Nuffield Health North Staffordshire plans to make the most of this investment by starting a new CT cardiac service at the hospital.

Photo: Nuffield Health North Staffs

Shown here, left to right, Matthew Stork, InHealth Managing Director of Diagnostic Services; Barnaby Harrison, Account Manager CT/MR/X-ray, Canon Medical Systems; Jean Frost and Alison Seadon, Radiography Department Assistants; Mark Hughes, Stoke City Football Club Manager; Debbie Lightfoot, Senior Radiographer; Richard Williams, Imaging Services Manager, InHealth; Lesley Hunter, Radiography Department Assistant and Graham Ogden, InHealth Head of Operations

Canon Medical Systems has a carbon-zero project in place. We have calculated the carbon footprint for each of our products to include manufacturing, shipping, delivery and average hospital energy used for the standard lifetime of the equipment as follows:

CT equates to 12 stoves and 48,365 litres of water

Posted on September 12, 2016 by CMSE

Specialist teams at the hospital and wellbeing centre will use state-of-the-art ultrasound imaging technology to help the Foundation identify, evaluate, treat and rehabilitate talented athletes as they complete TSFA programmes and local residents as they recover from sporting injuries.

August 2016 – Canon Medical Systems today announces the launch of a formal partnership between the Tessa Sanderson Foundation and Academy (TSFA), Homerton Hospital and the Sir Ludwig Guttman Health and Wellbeing Centre. The partnership sees sports injury and musculoskeletal specialists from two nationally-renowned centres of sports medicine excellence using state-of-the-art medical imaging technology within a sports foundation to manage athletes’ health and wellbeing.

The Partnership will continue to build on the legacy of the London 2012 Games by providing health and wellbeing services that meet local needs and expectations, and to encourage local people to improve their own health and wellbeing.

Based at Newham College, TSFA employs a growing number of experienced ex-international class coaches and works with teachers and managers in local schools, community centres, sports clubs and academies. The Foundation and Academy has a structured programme that helps youngsters identify and experience the positive benefit of sport on lifestyle, nutrition and wider life skills.

Dr. Peter Resteghini leads the Sports and Musculoskeletal Clinic at the Homerton University Hospital, where he has trained and worked with staff who have gone on to work in high level sport including the Football Premiership, Rugby and also specialists in sports medicine at the 2012 Olympics. Dr Resteghini and his team will help the Foundation manage medical health initiatives using the Aplio™ 500 ultrasound scanner, helping TSFA maintain their young athletes’ fitness and wellbeing as they participate in sporting activities and prepare for major sporting events such as the Olympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

Homerton University Hospital will provide a one-stop service for sports injuries and musculoskeletal problems for the Foundation. Providing treatment at Homerton University Hospital and Sir Ludwig Guttmann Health and Wellbeing Centre, a specialist team will assess and treat sports injuries and musculoskeletal problems including; sports injuries, tendon and muscle sprains and strains, joint pain and arthritis among other conditions.

Through the unique partnership, injured athletes and local residents will have access to Sports Physicians, Physiotherapy, Orthopaedic Surgery, and Radiology services including ultrasound guided injections. Additionally patients will have access to biomechanical (podiatric) assessments, a full range of investigations including X-ray, ultrasound, MRI and blood tests where appropriate, and treatment for activity related injuries. The team will provide advice and education for Foundation athletes in order to reduce the risk of future injuries.

As an NHS clinic there is no charge for patients who are referred with sports injuries or musculoskeletal problems. Access to the clinic is generally considered via a referral letter from a GP or local hospital but the clinical will occasionally accept patients via an A&E pathway for a wide variety of MSK conditions.

As well as providing a treatment for injured athletes, the partnership will help promote the rapid development of novel sports medicine and exercise-related applications for ultrasound scanner technology as well as helping TSFA medical staff and the wider community it serves develop an understanding of ultrasound scanner technology as a fundamental building block for young athlete well-being and development.

Canon’s ultrasound technology will enable the TSFA team in partnership with Canon Medical Systems to develop scanner applications and best practice guidelines regarding the early diagnosis, improved rehabilitation and preventative care for these young athletes as they travel through the Foundation and Academy programmes. The partnership will help TSFA maintain their young athletes’ fitness and wellbeing as they participate in sporting activities. By using imaging in innovative ways to track the physical and physiological development of youngsters playing sport, the partnership will identify best practice treatment and exercise regimes for athletes at varying skill and aptitude levels.

TSFA and its partners will use Aplio™ 500 ultrasound scanner technology, which is used by many of the UK’s leading imaging research centres. Designed for high-resolution musculoskeletal imaging, the system features exceptional spatial and contrast resolution to visualise muscle and tendon architecture in super-fine detail. Advanced Dynamic Flow and elastography applications will allow the earliest possible detection of vascular flow interruption and muscle and tendon damage, enabling the Foundation’s medical staff to make fast and accurate decisions on treatment for its growing base of young talent based on immediate diagnosis.

Tessa Sanderson, CBE is excited at formal launch of the partnership: “Our original partnership with Canon Medical Systems gave us a unique opportunity to explore the capabilities of medical imaging within our Foundation environment. Now with a fully developed partnership that involves Homerton Hospital and the Sir Ludwig Guttmann Health and Wellbeing Centre, we’re able to treat athletes quickly and effectively as well as open a pathway for them to learn about sports medicine and sports science by giving them opportunities to learn about how the body performs during exercise and heals after injury.”

Canon Medical Systems UK Managing Director, Mark Hitchman is proud to be part of the partnership: “Our technology is being used by some of the world’s leading sports organisations and community-based sports facilities for significant player and athlete medical care – from Manchester United and Barcelona to the Barnet FC and Imaging Academy, our technology and expertise is helping develop sports science in applied settings for elites athletes and importantly, for the wider community these organisations help to serve and support.

“Our continued efforts in the pursuit of medical imaging excellence is a perfect fit with the aims of Tessa’s Foundation and Academy and its partners. Together we’ll be able to quickly diagnose young athletes and local residents with MSK injuries and get them on a recovery pathway so that they can recover well and realise their sporting and healthy living ambitions.”